Dr. Darsi Ferrer Ramírez
After almost 11 months in custody without any formal charges being filed, Cuban human rights activist Dr. Darsi Ferrer Ramírez next week will stand trial on supposed charges of "receiving stolen property" and "assault," his wife told Radio Martí.
Prosecutors are seeking a 3-year prison sentence.
Details of the charges aren't really important because they have nothing to do with why he was arrested July 21 after acquiring some building materials to repair his home. He is set to stand trial on June 22.
"We believe he was detained as punishment for his work to promote freedom of expression in Cuba," said Gerardo Ducos, a researcher with Amnesty International, which in February designated Ferrer as a prisoner of conscience.
The Associated Press has more on Monday's developments:
Human rights officials say Cuba holds 180 political prisoners in all. Havana says the dissidents are a mix of common criminals and agitators paid and manipulated by Washington to bring down the government.
Emblematic of the difference between the two sides is the case of Ferrer, a longtime opposition figure who has been jailed without trial since July 2009, when he was arrested on charges of illegally purchasing cement.
All construction projects in Cuba are tightly regulated and materials are controlled by the state; thus, Havana considers him a criminal.
However the purchase of supplies on the island's black market is extremely commonplace and usually goes unpunished, leading diplomats and international observers to call his arrest a clear retaliation for political activity.
Ferrer's wife, Yusnaimi Jorge, told The Associated Press on Monday that his trial will take place June 22 and prosecutors have recommended a 3-year sentence. Under Cuban law, those convicted of short jail terms are often allowed to remain free.
"We hope they will free him," she said.
Elizardo Sanchez, who heads the Havana-based Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation and monitors dissident activity, reacted cautiously to the news.
"If they free him, it would be a positive step," he said. "But if he is condemned (to jail time) it is a step backward."
For more about Dr. Ferrer, read the interview I did with him in September 2006.
And to read his most recent letter from prison, read this.
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